a moody, sexy & compelling debut novel!! ❤️‍🔥

perfect for those of you looking for a book with a messy, destructive & damaged main character, with themes of religious trauma & dysfunctional mother daughter relationships aaaand a rather erotic relationship with a vampire!

Loved the cover art and was hooked by the books blurb. The gothic and sensual themes combined with the woven in religious trauma was done beautifully and had me obsessed from cover to cover. I’m so excited for the author to come into our shop this month!
This book was delicious and I ate it up.

This book was unlike anything I've read before. I was initially drawn to the concept of a recovering Catholic taking solace on a Scottish island with a vampire, but wow it was so much more than I imagined. I was entranced from the first page and I can't wait for Genevieve Jagger to gift us with more of her writing.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

this is a great debut from a very talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future

Modern gothic meets feminist literary social commentary on religious trauma.

A woman travels to a remote Scottish island and meets a kinky vampire. They exchange steamy past experiences and with every exchange we learn a little more about Noelle and her troubled past.

Great commentary on the ways women are moulded to self police our behaviour and an interesting look at sexual liberation and subjugation.

At times I found the narrative hard to follow but overall this was an interesting, tense and intimate read.

Rhankyou 404Ink and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you to 404 Ink for this arc!!

Learning that this was Genevieve Jagger’s debut novel was astounding — this is a well-crafted, nuanced, and ambitious novel. I particularly liked that we are never quite sure whether Moses is actually a vampire; the ambiguity is a very smart choice that keeps us on our toes. I thought the themes of religion, sexuality, and parenting that were explored in this novel were done expressively and compassionately, and Noelle was a very vivid character to read through. 3.5/5!

As an adult, Noelle has a difficult relationship with Catholicism - it being both the foundation of her childhood and the collapse of her mental health and stability. Noelle wants to atone for her sins and transgressions; her multilayered guilt causes her to be self-destructive .All this, and a mysterious vampire who could be her salvation or her violence.

Fragile Animals is a captivating literary read about a trouble young woman navigating religious trauma and guilt stemming from a troubled childhood with an absent and cold mother. It's slow paced, introspective, and the prose is poetic. Check this out if you like quieter books that pack a punch.

If vampires are truly "back" and "in" for this year, this is the book that's done it. What a wild, GORGEOUS, and enchanting ride. I'd love a sequel, I'd love more. Definitely a contender for my book of the year.

I really enjoyed this. Usually I’m not really one to pick up a horror-type books but after hearing such buzz from so many of my favourite authors I was excited to give it a try and Jagger definitely delivered. A fascinating vampire sapphic story and I will definitely be reading more from Jagger.

Wow. First of all, Jagger’s prose is so weird and I’m in love. The way she describes the environment with living, breathing, human qualities sets such an unsettling tone. Almost like the setting itself is watching the story unfold.

I adored Jagger’s commitment to ambiguity. Noelle’s bisexuality, Moses’ undeath, the liminal nature of the setting…I felt that all these things added so much depth to the deeper discussion about how our binary morals and standards contradict the nature of complex humanity.

I think really the only thing that kept me from fully giving this 5 stars, is the fact that the summary states that Noelle enters into a sexual relationship with a vampire. For me, this felt like a pretty major spoiler and I so wish I could have experienced the story unfolding without the knowledge that Noelle and Moses’ relationship turns sexual. Because that sex scene…it would have hit SO hard if I didn’t know for sure it was going to happen.

I enjoyed the experience of reading this novel, and getting inside the head of the main character, but sometimes I found the structure a little awkward. The switching between her past and present was repetitive at times and took away from the progressing current plot, but it does establish a certain rhythm that I got used to. The ending was abrupt considering the build-up, but it was satisfying in a certain way. If you have any interest in vampire stories, I would recommend this novel. If you like stories about characters losing their religion, I would also recommend this.

bizarre in the best way. I loved this real, foul, unromanticised exploration of self and sex. this felt like a journey of self discovery taken together, with all the ugly parts of us helping along the way. refreshing to see vampires in this light too - so many novels paint them in a sexy light and confronting this style of man and sex and crushes was so insightful.

I loved this book. I loved this book. I LOVEEE this book.
So beautifully written (I even read the acknowledgements for genuinely the first time ever.)

Noelle, Paloma, Lorne, Miss Fraser, Moses, Her, the three Fathers.
All wonderfully developed characters, each you believe they are one person then proved otherwise by great character building.

‘The mountains on the horizon look like the backs of wild boar’

5 stars and the best book I’ve read so far this year.

SPOILER/TOO MUCH INFO INCOMING —————
-
-
-
-

I was sad for Noly and Moses, sad for her phone call with Lorne then following her ferry ride, sad she didn’t say bye to Miss Fraser.
Happy she chose to live.

Thank you to NetGalley and 404 Ink for the eARC. My first ARC, yay!

Fragile Animals follows Noelle (Noly) as she spirals out on a remote island, looking back on her life and the memories she's been avoiding. Leaving her home, cell phone, and most belongings behind to take this last minute escape, Noly finds herself staying at an inn with the jolly yet particular inn keeper and a vampire. Noly and the vampire get to know each other through swapping the stories of their past lovers, drinking at all times of the day, and gazing into nature to see themselves. This novel is an exploration of our actions as a ripple effect and how self destruction is rarely contained to the self.

This debut novel really blew me away. I didn't expect my first experience with an ARC to be such a great match for all my literary interests. Religious guilt, cold landscapes, spiraling women in denial, this really has it all. Written with poetic language and urgent tones, it's hard to resist slipping into the distress, yearning, and tenderness our main character experiences. At times, I found certain patterns in the language distracting (the word "cacophony" makes a lot of appearances) but it was never enough to make me want to put the book down. The timeline jumps around and while I like being pulled between present and past in stories, I know that isn't the case for every reader. Overall, an incredibly impressive debut. I'm really excited to see what Genevieve Jagger does next, I could easily see her becoming an author whose work I follow closely.

Fragile Animals by Genevieve Jagger is a spellbinding debut that explores love, trauma, and the intersection of religious upbringing with forbidden desires.

The story follows Noelle, a woman burdened by the shadows of her Catholic past, as she seeks solace and soul-searching on the remote Isle of Bute. There, she encounters a mysterious man who claims to be a vampire, and their connection ignites through shared confessions and the allure of the forbidden. As their relationship deepens, Noelle is confronted by the haunting memories of her upbringing. With each revelation, Noelle is forced to confront the fragility of her beliefs and desires, ultimately grappling with the true nature of love and redemption and the role she played in the events.

Fragile Animals is quite slow-paced and reflective and heavily explores Catholic guilt and trauma, which was incredibly relatable. Jagger's prose weaves a tapestry of beauty and darkness, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur so cohesively. The magical realism element with the vampire storyline gave me Mona Awad vibes, making this a fitting addition to the 'weird girl books' genre.

When I read the description, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was intrigued, and I think it delivers. I liked the writing style though it did feel a bit hard to follow at times, the characters were interesting, and it's quite introspective, particularly about religious trauma. I don't think I'm exactly the right audience for it because I don't feel that 4 or 5-star feel, but I'm happy I went a bit outside of my comfort zone for this.

This was quite a unique experience. When I read the description, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was intrigued, and I think it delivers. I liked the writing style though it did feel a bit hard to follow at times, the characters were interesting, and it's quite introspective, particularly about religious trauma. I don't think I'm exactly the right audience for it because I don't feel that 4 or 5-star feel, but I'm happy I went a bit outside of my comfort zone for this.

3.5
Fragile Animals was quite sad. Not a traditional vampire horror, but blurred between that and real life. This was by far one of the strangest books I’ve read in a long time


We are jumped around in Noelle’s timeline before and after her parents divorce which gives tremendous depth to her behavior: repressed Catholic guilt and uncertain sexuality plus an unloving mother. I too would be destructive and depressed. To be so on the verge of giving up that the companionship of a vampire nearly killing you is like a reset button.

I also felt that this needed major editing. Words and phrases were repeated that weren’t picked up by autocorrect or initial edits. I had to reread a paragraph several times to understand it because it just didn’t make sense.

God, this book was a windswept, succulent sucker punch to the jugular. Gothic, sensual, superbly sinister in parts. I found myself thrashing in my bed at particular lines of prose that totally swept me off my feet the way I used to with fanfiction as a tween.

Everything about this book hits. It explores religious trauma, repression, grief for those still living, in the most deft and gorgeous way. It swallows you up in a crest of hard truths and spits you out on a silky, poetic shore. It rocked my world for a week and will continue to rock it as I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Girlies with mommy issues who were down bad for Spike, love the idea of communion, and may or may not have a tattoo of saint sebastian— this book is for you.

I'd like to express my gratitude to both NetGalley and Genevieve Jagger for providing me with an ARC of "Fragile Animals," allowing me to share my honest thoughts on this read.

Noelle's journey, as she grapples with the traumas of her Catholic upbringing while navigating a complex relationship with a man who claims to be a vampire, is both haunting and thought-provoking.

While I found the middle section of the book to be a tad slow, the narrative swiftly regained its momentum towards the end, leaving me unable to tear myself away from the page. Jagger's skillful storytelling and masterful pacing ensured that every twist and turn held my attention, building anticipation for the climactic moments that awaited.

One aspect of "Fragile Animals" that particularly resonated with me was its ability to elicit unexpected emotions, including moments of laughter amidst the tension. These instances of dark humor added depth to the reading experience, serving as a testament to Jagger's ability to craft a narrative that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.

In conclusion, "Fragile Animals" is a triumph of a novel, offering a compelling exploration of religion, sexuality, and the human psyche against a backdrop of supernatural intrigue. Despite its occasional lulls, the book ultimately delivers a satisfying and memorable reading experience that will linger in the mind long after the final page is turned. Genevieve Jagger has crafted a work that is sure to captivate readers and leave them eagerly awaiting her next literary endeavor.

I’m rating this 3.5 stars (4 star round up)